In most fields of endeavor there are no easy jobs; there are only graceful ways of performing difficult ones.

nerve, not talent, is the one necessary and sufficient trait for success. (Wouldn't it be ideal if it were talent? But talent with no nerve is like the sound of one hand clapping.

It is just as important to move on in the wake of stunning success as in the wake of disaster.

The key to moving a maybe to a yes is to make the buyer feel as though other buyers have already said yes. ... It helps if it's true, but it never is. No one wants to be the first yes. Why is this? I don't know, but I think it's anthropological.

No single movie or event makes or breaks your career. Everything can be undone, including success.

There is a fine line between perseverance and madness.

When I was starting out, the first women studio heads and writers were just getting into their perches - development execs learning their chops.